BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Two city councilors say they left an executive session Thursday because they did not believe it was legal.

Councilors Nichole Kennedy and Michael Powers both left because they say the discussion of the potential hiring of an interim city councilor should have started in the public realm.

“I questioned the legality of the process,” Powers said.

According to Mayor Jeffrey M. Skelly, the meeting was held in executive session to discuss the employment history of two potential candidates for interim city manager.

Kennedy said the job should have been posted to ensure the city offered a chance to all of the best candidates available.

“I walked out because there was no diversity. We had a hiring freeze that has not been lifted,” she said.

Kennedy said only two candidates were being considered for the position and they were both white men.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t be hiring a white male, but I think every single person that would have liked to apply for it, should have had the opportunity to do so,” she said.

“If we had let people know the hiring freeze was lifted, maybe we would have had a bigger and better candidate pool to pick from. If there was some transparency about the city looking to hire an interim city manager we may have had more options,” she said.

Kennedy said that the majority of council objected to a property sale because it was not put out to bid, but appeared to be willing to hire an interim city manager with far less scrutiny.

“I think for a position like this, with how much we are probably going to pay this person and the job duty we should make sure we are making the best decision,” she said.

Former City Manager Sarah Purdy was the first female city manager. She was placed on administrative leave after she announced she would be retiring in June.

Powers said he objected to the hiring process. He said the city did not advertise the position or consider local candidates.

He said he believes the two men being considered will be targeting the police and fire department for cuts.

“There are checks and balances in government and I’m not talking about a ledger,” he said.

Powers accused the majority of council, which includes Deputy Mayor John Rishe, councilors Bill Dillabough and Steven Fisher and the mayor of disregarding the process.

“They haven’t lifted the hiring freeze and they haven’t done a proper candidate search. There is an obligation to do right by the taxpayers and they are ignoring that obligation,” he said.

On Monday city council sent out an agenda for a special meeting to be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

The meeting is to include an executive session and the appointment of an interim city manager.

The resolution does not indicate how much the appointee will receive in wages nor does it include a date that the appointment would end.

It does include language that would lift the hiring freeze for the position.

Mayor Skelly could not immediately be reached for comment on the matter.

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